Monument Type(s):

• MANOR HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)
• TOWER? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)

Summary

This site represents: a manorial complex of medieval date.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA15 - 1991 building recording, survey and excavation at Ercall Hall by BUFAU

Description

Evaluation report containing a summary of documentary evidence for the medieval manorial complex. In 1424 the manorial enclose is described in a marriage settlement. The document mentions a moat and bridge, a three storey gatehouse containing five rooms and a detached stone tower capable of defence. It also contained the hall, offices and a great chamber with rooms behind it and two more rooms on the ground floor and one above. The implication is that the hall was probably still open to the roof, but the chambers in the lower half must have been ceilinged as there was another room above. A new bam is also mentioned as are stables, a barleyrick tower, garner and hay loft, as well as nearby orchards and a pond south of the church (see PRN 04071). The tower mentioned in 1424 may be that seen on C18 and early C19 illustrations of High Ercall, though the documentary sources are considered rather unreliable. One of the trial trenches (Trench 5) which was excavated as part of this evaluation produced a massive stone wall foundation in the central area of the moated site, south of the present hall, which it is suggested may belong to the detached stone tower mentioned in 14124: this may still have been standing in the 18th century, as illustrations appear to show it. <1>

The manor complex consisted of a hall and chambers, including a great chamber, a kitchen, larderhouse, bakehouse, brewhouse, gate and bridge, a dovehouse and a gatehouse; a house (le Noresry) within the gardens, a stable, a great barn, a hayeberrie, an oxhouse, carter's stable, yeoman's stable, a tower (le Birlyreka), another stone tower, a garner, orchards and gardens, park and woodland <2>

Anslow in discussing the C17 hall notes that in various parts of the garden and grounds traces of the foundations of the larger residence and fortification are still discernible especially on the eastern site <3>

CMHTS Comment:- A dower house, later used to house the six chaplains of the chantry, existed in 1332 in the area mentioned above (PRN 05594) and it may be the foundations of this and other buildings observed. Trial trenches in the area of the manorial enclosures found medieval pottery dating to C12-C15 residence in later contexts (PRN 05581) <4>
CMHTS Report <5>

<01> Ferris Iain & Litherland Steve J, 1991, Archaeological work at Ercall Hall, High Ercall, Shropshire, in 1991, p8-9,12 (Archaeological fieldwork report). SSA674.

<02> Hill M C, 1984, The Desmesne and the Waste, p32 (Article in serial). SSA9190.

<03> Anslow R, 1883, The Archaeology of High Ercall (Monograph). SSA11527.

<04> Buteux Victoria, 1993/ 1996, CMHTS SMR Records Shropshire: Ellesmere and High Ercall, High Ercall 5596 (Record form). SSA19967.

<05> Buteux Victoria et al, 1996, Archaeological Assessment of High Ercall, Shropshire (CMHTS) (Historic landscape survey report). SSA12071.

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.